This past Sunday, July 25, George and I drove NORTHEAST of Crossville to hike to the overlook over Clear Creek, in the Obed Wild and Scenic River area, not too far from Wartburg, TN. The drive was nice ---as we passed the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, and headed into a sparsely populated area of Cumberland County and Morgan County.
Added to the National Park system in 1976, the Obed Wild and Scenic River is a very rugged area with very few added trails so far. The Obed River and its main tributaries, Clear Creek and Daddys Creek, have carved steep gorges into the sandstone bedrock. This river is perfect for VERY experienced kayakers (except this summer --when we have had so little rain).
We traveled to the Lilly Bridge area and crossed Clear Creek, driving up the mountain to hike to the overlook above Lilly Bridge. YES---I did a little hiking, the first for me since May... It was only a .6 of a mile hike total, and was fairly level--but that is definitely a beginning for this gal, who loves to hike. The ONLY problem with the hike was the extreme heat --since the temperature was in the 90's (or at least the high 80's). But--since most of the hike was in the woods, we both enjoyed it.
Here are some pictures for you!!!!! Above is the trail. We enjoyed hiking in the woods, even on a hot day. Below are more!
We are at the overlook... The Parks Services did a great job building this overlook on top of the mountain here. The views were great!
I took this picture from the overlook --looking down at the Lilly Bridge which we crossed.
From the overlook, we took this picture --looking east at Clear Creek below. You can see some people swimming down there if you enlarge this picture.
Looking the other direction, you will not how LOW the water levels are in Clear Creek.
Here's one last picture of the mountainous terrain around this area. This picture was also taken from the overlook ---facing straight ahead of us.
I will share more pictures of our little ride/hike in this area in another post next week. We drove home on a little country road --and of course, I found another little church!!!! ha
The GOOD NEWS for us is that we had OVER TWO inches of rain here at our home yesterday.... Yeah Rah!!!! We need rain SO badly... All of our trees/plants/grass/flowers, etc. say "Thank You" I'm sure...
Have a great Thursday!!!
Hugs,
58 comments:
Lovely park! Green everywhere :)
Beautiful pictures! Glad you guys got some rain. If you ever have any to spare, can you send some my way?
Jane
Hooray for your rain!!! Mother Nature can be so kind when she wants to be. :)
xo Catherine
Beautiful pictures!
I thought we were going to get some rain, it clouded up, thundered, and I could even smell it, but nope!
The wonderful news is that you are hiking. Way to go gal.
That first picture is totally inviting and would have lured me right in.
Glad you got some rain. I know how that feels from last year but we have had plenty this year. Your outing took you to a beautiful spot. I love going on hikes with you. It must have felt good to be on a trail again.
That's a long way down!! My vertigo would not allow me to stand on that overlook. Hooray for your rain. Send us some...
YAY!!! You got to hike - I know how happy you had to have been.
So happy to hear you are able to hike a little. Those views are spectacular from the overlook. I am also happy to hear that you had a good rain yesterdy. YEAH!
I'm so glad that you are so much better and can begin hiking again! The shots are wonderful!! I love the little bridge you came across, it is dwarfed in this picture by God's beauty. I'm imagining the trees helped give you some shade from the heat as you walked? We both seem to be doing little churches lately! Will you be posting this new one you found?
YES, on the hike. Glad to see your knee is improving. And You got RAIN. Fabulous. The hike was beautiful and the overlook is awesome. Pictures only show half the beauty tho, don't they? The naked eye is a wonderful thing.
BlessYourHearts
What a beautiful place. It amazes me how the trees can stay so green - when there has been little water. God sure knew what he was doing giving them those long roots that dig deep into the ground.
Glad to hear you had rain, I know it is hard here keeping all the flowers watered when there is little rain.
We had a doozey of a storm pass thru last night - so yay! I don't have to water this morning!
Have a great day Betsy!
Lovely scenery, Betsy. As I have said before it is a beautiful area. Glad you got to do a little hiking. So enjoyable.
We haven't had rain out here for quite some time. Unusual for here. I have a zillion containers to water.
I love finding little old churches. MB
Lovely pics as usual, you find the prettiest places!!
We had a little rain but not nearly enough. We need a really snowy winter preceded by a very wet fall to even begin to top up the water table.
Lovely drive! You and George should publish a travel book on Tennessee!!!!!
Looks as though your looking down from Heaven...
Glad to hear you can get your walks in again...Everything in moderation they say...
Just Lovely...
Always~Marilyn
Beautiful. This type of scenery is what I picture when I read Sharon McCrumb's books about that area (or I think it's that area--where VA, N.C. and TN border). Would love to see this area in "fall dress".
Best,
Bonnie
What a lovely place. The air looks so clear, somehow it just doesn't look hot:)
I'm glad you got some rain. That should hold you over for a couple more weeks.
Marnie
breathtaking beauty! and so happy for your rain, we are still waiting on ours
...beautiful. Maybe I can see this when we're there in Sept. Also...how far are you from Fall Creek Falls? I'd love to see it. I saw it when i was a kid and loved it then.
Glad you got some rain! loved the pictures today! Happy Thursday!
What a beautiful overlook! Loved the photographs.
Very little rain for us. Afternoon thunder and lightning and a spatter of raindrops. Just enough to raise the humidity to intolerable. Glad you got a good helpful rain.
How beautiful! If you don't believe in God take a stroll through those mountains. They are incredible.
I just was thrilled to see the pictures of this overlook. We will try to visit there sometime soon. Looks wonderful! Yes, we did get that needed rain, and lots of it! Have a great day!
what a beautiful drive! We looked at land in that area several years ago and almost moved there. Wish we had as love those mountains and views. We didn't get anymore rain. We have had 2 small showers in the past several weeks. Everyone right around us is getting downpours.
That is a beautiful area!
Glad you got the rain you needed, betsy! We had soem rain this morning, but I'm hoping for more as the grass and trees have been so parched.
I always enjoy stoping at scenic overlooks along a road and this one that you've shown us is exceptional! It's so nice to be above the trees and hills and see such a view!
Lovely scenery.
Glad you finally got some rain, we could use a little here too.
☼ Sunny
Gorgeous scenery.The hike through the woods is just so inviting,and the views from that overlook are breathtaking.I am so glad you were able to get back to some hiking.I trust that this is only a start.
Blessings,Ruth
Glad you are back enjoying your hiking no matter how small. Take it one step at a time!
I have been to Trinity several times, it is my best friend's church (she goes to their newer church in town the rest of the time) and she has burial plots there for her and her husband. Yes, they play that organ. And let me tell you that it shakes the whole building! At least it feels that way. POWERFUL!! They have six evening services in the summer, plus a few picnics. Other than that, it remains unused and locked up. There is no heating, air conditioning, or lights, and no bathrooms inside the church, though they did just put some in the little pavillion outside. It is about fifteen or twenty minutes away from here, through the cornfields and cow pastures. You would love it, I thought of you when I was posting it.
Breathtaking !
Everywhere is still lush and green, despite the lack of rain...aah such is Tennessee :)
A lovely day out, glad to hear you finally got rain, sadly none around our parts...
I'm so glad to see this as I'm sure I will never get to go there.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Very beautiful place to go, Betsy. I'm so glad you got rain, I can just hear the relief in your words. Dianbe
Beautiful pictures. This looks like a spot we need to visit. :) We live East of you in Tellico Plains.
The trees sure do make that area beautiful. You must have had a wonderful time especially since you're getting back into hiking.
How nice that you got over two inches of rain! It was pretty dry in Western Massachusetts and Tucson hasn't had much rain this monsoon season yet.
Sure beautiful there Betsy.
It all looks so green and beautiful. Glad to hear you are hiking again.
What a gorgeous area....sweet hike for you both.
Glad you finally got some rain too!
That's a beautiful park for a hike, Betsy. I hope it wasn't as hot as it is here.. please send us some rain we need it too, everything is turning brown.
I love the overlook passage. It's awesome and the person who built it were such a genius.
Great photos Betsy, it brought it all back to me. My hubby took me to Crossvile to see Alvin Yorks home...I was thrilled to see everything and read about him and his family. I believe it was his grandson who showed us around...
You may have read the book Christy by Katherine Marshall about her mother as a teacher in that area about 100yrs ago. Beautiful story.
What a fantastic view from the overlook and just look at all that green. I really love your first photo of the trail through the woods, I would love to take a hike there.
Hoorah! We both got rain. We didn't get as much as you guys did but it was really nice, my yard loved it too. It was also nice to have cooler weather for just a bit but today it is hot. 97 degrees outside at the moment but low humidity fortunately.
Hugs,
Judy
Oh, I'm thinking I need a vacation in the mountains before too long! Fall would be nice...LT may ban me from your blog!! hehe Everytime I'm here I start talking about needing a trip to the mountains.
Yay for rain and the fact that you were able to hike! Thanks for showing us another little piece of your beautiful TN!
Happy with you for the rain!!! Beautiful photos Betsy! It's been a busy week here and I haven't got to visit as often as I'd like. Just caught up on my reading. Enjoyed your ancestry post! So cool!!
Absolutly beautiful! How wonderful to spend a day with beautiful surroundings & Your bestfriend. Happy dance for the rain you received. Thank you so much for sharing your part of the USA with us. BTW,the photographer is awesome.
What wonderful views, Betsy! Quite a sight in every direction. :)
Gorgeous, Betsy! Boy the river sure is low..all rocks!!
I have been missing reading your blog and the others...we have had company here for over a week so I haven't been near my computer (I only checked messages and pre-published my blogposts)...so I hope to catch up over the next few weeks.I missed my blogger friends. ha
MAGNIFICENT. I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR TOUR. IT IS SO PRETTY AND THAT OVERVIEW IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. THANK YOU SWEET FRIEND FOR SHARING TODAY. ANNE
Stunning overlook! You always make me miss the east coast with these shots.
My rainbow was taken from my driveway, how about that?
Lovely pictures and that's funny the name of the creek is Clear creek because that's the name of the creek that runs by my house.
Is this place in Hendersonville,Tenn?
Wouldn't that be funny to have 2 clear Creeks in 2 Hendersonville's
HA HA
Blessings to you
Marilyn
Absolutely beautiful scenery, Betsy! Makes me a little homesick for lots of trees, hills/mountains and streams. They are just not in the make up of West Texas.
I am so glad you were able to hike a bit. It does encourage one doesn't it? I am walking about an eighth of a mile now and am getting impatient!
Thanks for the pics. Blessings!
CottonLady
Stunningly beautiful....amazing pictures...
Such beautiful views! I surely enjoy seeing what you see on your drives!
Wonderful views from the overlook! I'm glad to hear that you could make it on a short hike....hope it is longer next time. I'm also glad you got some rain. It has been a very hot and dry summer. We've had a few light rains, but could certainly use a lot more.
Nice pictures! But you probably took the Point Trail at the wrong time of the year. The middle of summer is not the best time. I took that trail yesterday (Nov. 6) and it was perfect. The trees by now have lost at least half of their leaves and that makes your views of the river and the rocky bluffs much less obstructed by greenery. Also no flies and mosquitoes to contend with as you enjoy your picnic on the warm, smooth rocks that abound.
M. F. Kirchner: Thanks for much for visiting. We love the Lily Bluff area --and lots of the areas around Catoosa and the Obed… We have been there at various seasons --and you are right… In fact, winter is my favorite time to hike…. Thanks again. I was going to email you --but don't have your email address…
Hugs,
Betsy
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